Saikazo

Destiny and Ori followed the two boys into the truck's bed. The group had to shuffle around a bit to make sure Ori had enough space to sit, but they made it work. After confirming they were all comfortable, Terry drove off. He did his best to keep the ride smooth, but there were plenty of bumps and pot holes he had to avoid. The pungent scent of diesel was mixed with the the cool wind that whipped through through the students' hair. "Sorry about the bumps, kids!" Terry called out. "There should be some marshmallows back there. Help yourselves! Ain't much, but should help past the time!" Looking down, Reno quickly spotted the unopened bag of marshmallows. "Ah, nice," With a hum, he picked up up the bad and tore it open in one smooth motion. He reached in, putting one marshmallow in each hand. A light orange flame ignited around the fingers that held the marshmellows, cooking them. The smell of toasting marshmallows overwhelmed the diesel smell, and the sounds of the crackling of fire filled the air. After a few seconds, he had two perfectly toasted marshmellows. He popped one in without hesitation. "Not bad. I shoulda burned it more though," He shrugged. "Anyone want thi---" Destiny's hand lashed out like a whip, snatching the marshmallow out of Reno's hand. She munched at it daintly. She probably would have been considered cute if it wasn't for her manic question not even a few minutes ago. Reno reached back into the bag, once again grabbing two marshmallows and cooking them again. He looked to Blake and Ori, holding out a toasted treat for both of them. "Well, do you guys want one?" Whether they took one or not, the truck still kept rolling. The road eventually smoothed out, and the forest gave way to civilization. The forests were replaced by beaten up, dirty houses. Those houses were quickly replaced by cleaner houses and buildings. Though many were empty, it did look like a small town. The truck came to a halt at a traffic light. As they waited for the lights, a police car pulled up next to the truck. Of course, having people in the bed of the truck was very dangerous. In the event of a wreck, the students could get extremely hurt, or even killed. In most places, that wouldn't fly. The cops didn't even look up at them. The light turned green, and Terry took a right, driving across a bridge. The water below was so far down that the students couldn’t even hear the water rushing downstream. After crossing the bridge, it only took a few more minutes of driving before the truck pulled into a large parking lot. There were a few cars scattered around the parking lot, all looking a little beat up. Some construction equipment was in the far corner of the parking lot, likely to help finish building the place. “Well, here we are, kids,” Terry commented as he parked the truck. “Feel free to do whatever. If you want a ride back to school, I’ll be heading back in like…” He paused, rubbing his chin. “Actually, no, you’d only get like an hour or two if we did that. I’ll tell you what, how about at sunset, I’ll pick you all up here, alright?” From there, he headed into the community rec center. The four were free to go where they wanted. Looking out from the parking lot, they could see what appeared to be a small shopping center. About six small stores were situated around a corner. They seemed to range from ice cream shops, to specialty foods, and a game store. A little further down, they could see a movie theater. If they had the money, they could catch a movie for sure. And beyond that, there was a Malwart Supercenter. If they followed Terry inside, then they would find themselves in a lobby. Looking around, they could easily spot the way to the locker rooms, and the way to an indoor running track, a weight room, and a pool. They would also see several unfinished rooms, taped off and still being constructed. However, they would also notice a strange man slipping past the tape. No one seemed to notice him, and by now, Terry had disappeared to a different part of the building. In the end, the students were left to their own devices. Their choices will form their own story. Two gigantic fists slammed down on top of Nalu. The approaching Flynn could see Nalu’s head splatter, blobs of liquid being thrown around. However… she seemed fine. The place when the man had slammed was now a blob of aqueous material. The large man let out a growl of confusion. He slammed down again. And again. And again! Like a hammer, the man’s fists tried to bury Nalu into the earth. But Nalu wasn’t a nail. No, she was water. The man’s fists simply sent ripples through Nalu’s half melted body. It didn’t seem as if she even felt a single blow. Feeling frustrated, the man opened his mouth and went right for Nalu’s neck, trying to bite her! Meanwhile, the blonde haired girl ripped off one of her sleeves, wrapping it around the point the crazy delinquent had bit her. What the hell was all that? "You there, could you be a peach and get my bag? It's over there hanging from that chair, the one with the rabbit pins on it." The blonde haired girl looked over to Theodora, blinking in confusion. She quickly scanned over the chairs and found the bag. “Yeah, you got it,” The girl grabbed the bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She then grabbed the chair, folding it up and holding it like a weapon. Gritting her teeth, she ran over to Theodore. A delinquent ran right at the blonde haired girl to attack her, but this time she was ready. She swung the metal chair with all her might, nailing the delinquent right in the face. A loud metallic clang rang out, and a face shaped dent was left in the chair. Despite this great blow, the delinquent was not knocked out. However, they did fall over long enough for the girl to reach Theodore. “There! What do you need this for anyways?” she asked. The delinquent Theodore had wrapped up thrashed wildly, almost foaming at the mouth with rage. If the two looked closely, they’d see a trait shared among all the other attacking delinquents. Bloodshot eyes with red irises. Catherine would see the delinquent she used as a weapon slowly getting up off the ground. Their body looked as if it would give out at any moment, and yet they managed to get back up. Their movements were stiff and jerky, like a puppet played by an amatuer. As they stood up, they grabbed the other delinquent by the collar. They twisted their entire body, raising their unconscious ally over their head. Space itself felt like it contorted as the delinquent drew back like a bow. With power far exceeding that of a normal person, they threw their ally with all their might at Catherine. The delinquent arrow shot straight for Catherine’s head. Flynn would feel two arms attempting to wrap around him. The delinquent that tried to punch his mask was back! He managed to cross the distance Flynn had sent him in the short time between that and Flynn attempting to help Nalu. That seemed way too fast for a normal person. With his years of experience, Flynn could easily deduce what his opponent wanted. They were going for the classic German Suplex! As these battles raged on, it seemed the school finally noticed. An older man began to approach the group from the back doors of the school. However, it was obvious he would not get there in time to stop anything. Perhaps sometimes never was better than late. OOC

"Pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?" a voice called out to Reno. He stopped in place, turning his head to look over his shoulder. The boy considered her words before firing back. “Yeah, well I didn’t get into this school for my genius intelligence. If something happens, you let me know and I’ll eat my own shoe, how about that?” He snarked. He continued his walk until his path was blocked by a… bird man? Wait no, that was a mask. Right? Probably. "Hear me out, my friends," the birdman’s tone reminded Reno of one too many teachers trying to be kind but authoritative. "I implore that you go on the tour with us. Don't you want to see what this place has to offer! Look around you!" the birdman motioned to the masses of students around them, "Isn't this place amazing? Do you not believe this place has amazing things to offer amazing young people like you?" Reno’s eyes drifted around. He saw a lot of trees… a rundown building… some crazy looking people. Okay, the birdman wasn’t wrong, this place was kind of amazing, but… "I would rather everyone here get off to a good start. There's no use for you to be here if you aren't willing to do it straight...this is a fresh start for all of us...I plead you do not waste it." Flynn walked past the two, standing out of their way. "I will not stop you from leaving, I just thought that I would plead this school's case." He flashed the two a thumbs up. "My name is Flynn Guerrero! The Fly Boy! I hope you reconsider your attempt at hooky, and attend the tour with me!" “I like your guts, Bird Boy, but you’re wrong about one thing. This isn’t a fresh start. This is just the latest stop. Enjoy the school tour or whatever. I’m outta here.” Reno waved off Flynn as he continued to walk away from the group. A pink haired girl walked out of the school group, following Reno, Blake, and Ori’s lead. She smiled at Flynn as she passed by him. “You’re a good guy, Flynn. But I think I’m gonna follow them. Might as well make sure they don’t cause too much trouble.” She stated with a confident smile. There was only one road to town from Dead End Academy, so the four naturally found themselves walking down that road together. The cool wind nipped at them as they walked down the road. There was hardly a sound beyond the sound of their own footsteps walking the poorly paved road. “So, what are you gonna do when you get into town?” Reno asked Blake. His eyes kept drifting over to Ori, but each time, he forced himself to focus back on Blake. It was obvious he wanted to ask Ori things but was holding back. “I’m thinkin’ of hitting up the park myself. Seems like a good place to get a workout, if you know what I mean.” Whatever reservations Reno might have had with questioning Ori, the pink haired girl didn’t share. She leaned over as she walked, staring directly at Ori’s eyes. Ori could see that the girl’s eyes had a star pattern right in the center of them. “You look really cool!” She stated as bluntly as a baseball bat. “My name is Destiny! What’s yours?” Instead of letting Ori answer, she followed up with a barrage of questions. “What does something like you eat? Oh, your hair looks so soft, can I pet you? Isn’t it hard to sleep on your back with wings like that?” Her barrage of questions ended with one final question. “Hey, are you strong?” Ori could see a smile slowly grow on Destiny’s face. Something about it seemed… off. Her eyes stared too intensely, her friendly smile felt hostile. Like if Ori answered wrong, they would have to defend themselves right away. The atmosphere grew heavier as Destiny waited for an answer. However, the need to answer never came. They group heard the sound of a car horn beeping at them, breaking the tension instantly. A beat up looking red pickup truck pulled up to them, coming to a stop by them. The window rolled down to reveal… A tyrannosaurus head on top of a muscular body. “Yo, you all need a ride to town?” the dinosaur asked, leaning out the window to better talk to the group. “You got a few miles before you hit the outskirts.” “Yeah, my parents told me never to talk to strangers.” Reno quipped. “They probably told ya not to skip school either, but here you all are.” was the expert counter. “I’m the school gym teacher!” “Really? Shouldn’t you be telling us to go back to school then?” Destiny asked. “Eh, you guys don’t technically have school, and frankly, I think trying to force you all ain’t a good idea.” He motioned to the back end of the pickup truck. “I’m headed into town to pick up some gym supplies. You all can hitch a ride with me. Turn an hour and a half walk into a ten minute ride.” “Well, I’m convinced,” Reno jumped into the bed of the truck, finding a comfortable spot and settling in. “You all coming or what?” Those who stayed behind would find that still no one had come yet. A blonde haired girl sighed loudly as she waited. She looked around, trying to find any sort of sign that a teacher was coming. Instead, she saw a bunch of nothing. Her eyes drifted as she listened to the people yammering off in the background. Until her eyes noticed something off. “What… the hell is that thing…?” she muttered, pointing towards the edge of the forest that grew behind the school. At the very edge of the forest stood something. It lumbered towards the schoolyard slowly. The thing’s seven foot tall black body seemed almost like a charcoal drawing come to life, something that closely mimicked reality yet was obviously fake. Or perhaps more fittingly, this was something that seemed fake yet was so obviously real. Its whole being seemed to be fuzzy. As if everyone was viewing it through an unfocused camera, or maybe as if it was living static. The only thing people could make out for sure were two large orbs of brilliant ruby red sitting where one would assume eyes would be. They seemed to look directly into everyone’s eyes at once, despite how impossible that was. It suddenly stopped walking, standing still in the middle of the field, a good fifty feet away from the students. It raised what one could assume was an arm and pointed at the gathered group. It remained silent and unmoving, as if it had become a statue. And then, it was gone. It vanished from everyone’s sight, as if it was never there in the first place. As if it never existed at all. A sudden blood curdling scream shattered the silence. The group of ten or so delinquents surrounded the freshmen. Some were hunched over, some looked as if they were struggling to stand. They were twitching as they stood there, as if they were trying to intimidate the freshman. “Oy, what’s you guys’ problems?” the blonde hair girl half asked, half taunted the delinquents. There was no answer. Instead one of the girls ran forward, faster than the blonde haired girl could process. The delinquent threw a punch, hitting the girl right across the face. The blonde hair girl flew back into the crowd, landing right next to Catherine. “What the hell is your—” The girl tried to sit up. Her lip was busted and bleeding. Before she could even completely get up, the assaulting delinquent leapt on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Without another word, she opened her mouth and bit straight into the blonde haired girl’s shoulder. “ARRRGH! WHAT THE BLOODY—?!” She struggled to get the delinquent off her, but no matter how she struggled, she just couldn’t do it. She looked over to Catherine. “Hey, help me would you?!” She pleaded. At that moment, the other delinquents attacked. One attempted to jump on Catherine’s back and bit into her shoulder. Two rushed at Flynn. One threw a wild haymaker at the man’s beak while the other attempted to tackle him. One leapt at Theo, trying to swipe at her throat with their nails. A rather big man roared and attempted to slam both of his hands on top of Nalu’s skull. And the rest attacked the rest of the freshman. It was an all out brawl, a tumultuous throw down! OOC

OP: Honest Eyes ♩ Almost Heaven, West Virginia ♩ With a growl, Mr. Principale shut off his radio. He remembered a time he liked the song. How it was a comfort during his hectic reassignment. Such a calming song, about the beauty that would surround him in Mountainguard. Now, it was just a reminder that the state was a dead end. It was so insignificant that even the most famous song about it couldn't even get the basic facts right. The Blue Ridge Mountains were not in West Virginia. The Shenandoah River didn't flow through the land. And there was no heaven in West Virginia. The mountains loomed over the town of Mountainguard, surrounding it like it was an old guard of sentinels keeping watch. They contained the cool fall breeze that blew next to the cold river that cut the town in half. To some people, this was comforting, a lifelong home that they would never leave. To Mr. Principale, it was like being sealed inside of a cardboard box. He tried to keep his bad mood down to a minimum as he drove to the edges of town. It was a new year. Maybe this year would be better than the last. He choose to ignore the roads becoming rougher, the buildings becoming more rundown, and the grass littered with trash. The trees grew taller and thicker along the road as his car drove away from the last pockets of civilizations and into what seemed like a thick forest. Only the road cutting straight through it let people know civilaization's reach still made it here. The road didn't curve, didn't bend. The longest stretch of road, aptly called Speedway, lead to his destination. The road lead to a large plot of land cleared out in the forest. In the center of it all stood Dead End Academy. The name was sadly perfect for the school. The four stories of the building were old and rundown, almost looking like a haunted mansion in the forest. However, the architecture was far too uniform and dour to be a mansion for the rich. Some people would think it a den of villany before they thought of it as a school. And they wouldn't be completely wrong. Principal Principale pulled into the parking lot, sitting quietly inside his car as he let the engine shut off. He didn't have too much time to spare, but he didn't want to get moving either. Another year in this damn school. How much longer could he deal with it? With a sigh, he finally got out of the car and headed towards his school. However, he wasn't going inside. Instead, he went around the large building, walking towards the back of it. Behind the school was a wide field, obviously set up for sports. However, the beachers had long been removed. They didn't have a sports team, and the benches kept getting destroyed during fights. A small stage was set up with nothing more than a speaker system and a podium on it. In front of the stage was a bunch of kids sitting in foldable metal chairs. He could already see people using those as weapons, but at this point, there was nothing they could do about it. He only hoped these kids were well behaved. With a grunt of effort, Principal Principale pulled himself up on the stage. He walked over to the podium as he dusted off his shoulders. A high pitch whine came from the speakers as he leaned closer to the mic. Before speaking, he looked over the freshmen class. There were less people than he was expecting. That was technically a good sign, but he couldn't bring himself to feel hope. "Alright, listen up!" He called out, looking over the freshmen class. "I'm sure you all are used to people bullshitting you, trying to placate you into listening, but I don't have the time for that," He took a deep breath before continuing. "You all might think you're the biggest, baddest people around. Well, allow me to shake that unwarrented confidence! You are a small fish taken from the ocean and tossed into a small pond. And there are fish much bigger than you lurking around at the bottom of this pond," It was a standard warning he gave out every year, and every year it was ignored. "I won't lie and say that you all will turn out to be good people who will get great jobs after your time in Dead End. In fact, statistically, most of you are going to end up dead before you turn 30. However, to those who might listen to my words, if you keep your heads down and actually try to learn, maybe you'll have a better life than what you'd get otherwise." He paused a moment, letting his words sink into the crowd. He didn't have high hopes for this class. He was sure that no one would listen to his next words. Still, he had a job to do. "Now, school doesn't start for the freshmen today," He explained. "No, today, you all will do a short tour of the school. Afterwards, you'll get situated in your dorms. Tomorrow, school really begins. Dismissed!" With that, Principal Principale walked off the stage, headed for the inside of the school. To say he had given a speech would be stretching the definition. It barely took him 30 seconds to deliver his words. And yet everyone in that crowd knew he spoke nothing but his truth. There was a moment of awkward silence as the principal left. It was obvious that there was supposed to be a teacher here that would gather them up and take them on the tour. Except no one came. "Yeah, fuck this," A voice shouted after a minute of silence. A tall, tanned boy walked out of the crowd of students. A large scar marred his face, going from cheek to cheek, right through his nose. "A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" He threw his hand in the air as he walked around the school. It was unclear if this was a sign of dismissal or him beckoning others to follow him. The students now had a choice. Would they play hooky, or would they attempt to be good students and wait? OOC

Karate Star Wars

We now have a discord. It's in the host post! And it's time to change form interest check to an OOC!

I'm glad you caught on to that. This is in fact, a just an inspiration mix of fighting games and just, battle school mangas.

OP - Honest Eyes - Black Tide ED - Flowers - Hana Hope Mountainguard, West Virginia. A completely ‘ordinary’ city filled with completely ‘ordinary’ sights and ‘ordinary’ people. On its outskirts lies “it”. Dead End Academy. Nicknamed “The final disposal site for problem children”, this school is kept tucked away from the rest of the city to keep its student population out of sight and out of mind. Here, all sorts mingle. From the brooding loner seeking power, to the troublesome smart kid trying to create a gang, to kids who are rumored to not even be human at all. This school, nay this city, is filled to the brim with problems and rot. A mysterious new drug making the rounds, trading sanity for power. The disappearances of beloved family members. The underground fighting ring accidentally raising a cult. The emergence of monsters beyond humanity’s common sense… All these problems and more will confront you at Dead End Academy. Can you make it to graduation alive? Will you be able to leave the same way you came? Rules and What You Should Expect Database Apps Discord Link

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 6:45 PM An impossible choice faced the great hero Match. The outcome of such a choice could affect his very future, nay, the very future of the world! Lives that had yet to be saved hinged on this grand choice. The weight of the future crushed his shoulders as he stared at his two impossible choices. "Tie or scarf...?" Match picked up both strips of cloth, looking over them with a critical eye. Both were a vibrate red, the classic color to stand out against his black formal wear. What would reassure people more? A formal tie, to show he meant business? Or a flowing scarf, to show everyone even at a party, he was here to be a hero? Even a simple detail like this mattered. "I wish they made tie scarves...," he muttered as he compared the two. His eyes drifted to the tie. It hung limply, as if it was being crushed by the formality it represented. On the other hand, the scarf's edge fluttered, as if beckoning to him. Under his mask, Match smiled. "Yeah, that's right. It shouldn't have even been a question," Tossing his tie on the bed, Match quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck. "Match, moving out!" He called out to no one as he posed in the middle of his room. After a second of silence, the man chuckled to himself, obviously pleased. The door to his room opened without a sound as his handler walked in. "You're chipper this morning," The young man stated emotionlessly. "And you're in need of a coffee, Ichigo," Match teased as he walked over, adjusting his helmet as he walked. unlike its usual colors, this mask was black to match his suit. "Let's get you one on the way to the gala, eh?" "It's way too late in the night for that," "Oh, don't be that way! We got a long night ahead of us! A coffee for you and two for me!" Match let out a hearty laugh as they left, ready to take on this gala. ══════════════ 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:45 PM P.A.R.T.Y. time The limo came to a halt as the door opened. A second passed. Two seconds. After three seconds, Match stepped out of the limo. He took a step forward, his scarf flowing in the wind behind him. He then stopped, planting his foot solidly into the ground. With a dramatic flourish, he pointed his right hand into the sky, a classic pose of victory. "Good evening, my fans!" Match called out before turning to point at the cameras pointed towards him. "Thank you for taking the time to see me!" he quickly turned, pointing to another camera at a different angle. "I hope you enjoy the show! I got dressed up just for all of you!" With that, he began to walk forward once again, letting the media swarm around him. "Match, what are your thoughts about the brackets this year?" "Seeded brackets are really tough!" Match answered without missing a beat, laughing as he did. "To face Grimalkin right off the bat, and then follow it up with either Maestro or someone who can beat Maestro? It's like they don't want me to have a break! However, I'll give it nothing less than my all!" "Speaking of brackets!" A clever reporter spring boarded off the last one's question. "Do you have anything you wish to say to your fellow heroes?" "Something to say, huh?" He stopped in his tracks. "As a matter of fact, I think I do," Once again, he pointed forwards, but this time, not to any camera or reporter. He pointed to the other heroes that went before him. "To the heroes who forge the path on this red carpet! I challenge you! Overcome us who follow behind!" He whipped around, pointing to the very start of the carpet. "To those who follow in my footsteps, know I'm coming after you! Especially you Maestro! This year is the year I'll overcome you! I won't just be a hero. I'll be your hero!" "Oh, is this yet another direct challenge to Maestro? Do you believe you can win this year?" "I've been studying and training for this moment ever since last year! Maestro will soon meet his Match!" He took another step forward, pausing slightly as he realized he stepped in something. Something sticky... did someone spit out gum on the red carpet? "Match, is there anyone you hope to avoid?" Another question made Match refocus on what was really important. "Hmmm. Can't say there is. Crossing fists with people is the easiest way to grow!" With this final question, Match reached the end. "I'll see you all later!" He waved to the crowd before taking his place. He watched as the others entered, some with immense grace, some with immense dignity. It seemed all was going well. Until it all came crumbling down. “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement..." Everyone else sprung into action. Trying to calm down the crowd, trying to organize things, all sorts of heroic actions. Match was not among though. He stood still, staring at down the red carpet. It was almost as if he believed if he just kept staring, Maestro would appear. Like this was all just some sort of joke. They'd laugh, get scolded, and move on with life. But a limo never drove up, and nothing changed. Match could only stand there, clenching his fist as the world moved around him.

Number 5 - Match

Reuben really enjoyed Frosted Tips. Honestly, who didn't? Ice cream was the dessert everyone screamed for, after all. He had a very simple scoop of cookies and cream ice cream on top of a cone. A simple classic, but he didn't feel the need to grab more at the moment. He was on technically on a diet, after all. He sat at the inside of the booth, his back straight and his gaze trained on his dessert. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and a baseball cap adorned his head. They were a necessary precaution. While the chances of him being recognized were low, there were never zero. He calmly licked at his ice cream as he heard the others speak. "Pepe's has been closed for a while," That was really unusual. He sincerely hoped nothing happened to Pepe. He was a good man who knew how to make a better pizzs. "Y'know, come to think of it, you'd think there would be more ice cream places in the Outer Ring. I never thought about that until just now." Reuben couldn't speak to the Outer Ring's culture, but he did film there several times. He wasn't convinced ice cream could last long out there. Ashley was interacting with social media as they planned a shopping trip with Khulan. In a perfect world, that's all the younger members of the group would have to worry about. He really wished the world was different so they could just live an average life, like before the fall of the old capital. Then again, this group probably wouldn't have met otherwise. He'd consider that a small blessing in this world. "How's about we shake off some rust and go beat up some thugs in the streets?" Vincent's hands slammed on the table playfully, causing Reuben to look in his direction. "I can smell your lack of experience! It's a damn pity!" Vinnie took the spoon out of his mouth and pointed it to Khulan, "And nothing gets you more experience than some skeevy back alley brawling!!" "Personally, I'd suggest against it." Reuben commented. "We all know the one day we spend fighting hoodlums and running away from Pubsec is the day that we'll get some big commission." Wasn't that just how the world seemed to work? Quietly, he licked up the final part of his ice cream before spinning the cone on his finger. It was a simple party trick, but it also helped his mind from wandering. "Of course, I suppose if only Vincent and Khulan go, the rest of us could cover any commission that comes our way."

The Starlight Glows Bright

Interested

It's like Fate but completely different. Zani.

Wrong. Zani. NO! ... Yes. Zani.

The title is self explanatory. Let's do it.

Hoop, there it is.

Íroas wasn't sure how best to approach this whole mess. Even though the restaurant was most definitely odd, there wasn't anything that could be pinned down as 'wrong.' Even though in Íroas could feel in his gut that something was off. Especially with the person that was attempting to take their order. He wanted to just start swinging, but what if he was wrong? Even if this was fake, that didn't mean people deserved to be hurt... well, not hurt by him, at least. Pepe simply gave Íroas a small nudge with a nod of confidence. So it was up to him after all. What should he do...? The answer hit him like a bolt of lightning. "Yes, hello, I am a health inspector." Íroas stated in professional tone as he reached into his pocket. He whipped out his bounty hunter badge quickly before slipping it back into his pocket. "As you know, all businesses must be inspected within 3 weeks of their opening, and we're pushing this deadline to the wire." He didn't even know if that was true, but it sounded real, and that's what mattered. "If you do not mind, I wish to get started, that way you all can be free to serve your customers their wonderful pizza." The man froze for a moment, possibly eyeing Íroas up and down, though it was impossible to tell. Finally, however, his posture relaxed, and he nodded in understanding. "Yes, the health inspector. We are up to code. Let me show you the kitchen. It is up to code." The man gestured toward the back of the restaurant, where the kitchen was located. In so doing, however, he quite literally showed his hand. It didn't take a genius to notice it, that the hand had way too many fingers, and that none of them were the appropriate size or length for this guy's hands. Pepe, taking this as a sign that shit was about to get real, started toward the exit. "I'll leave the inspection to you, partner! I need a smoke outside very quick!" Another lie to compound Íroas's, for Pepe did not smoke. "Do not worry, this will be a quick inspection." Íroas said confidently as he followed the man's gesture into the kitchen. If the front of Pepe's Pizza 2 was normal, but somewhat off, the kitchen was where things became wrong, but with a semblance of normal. The room had the general shape of a kitchen. It had the appliances, but whether they were in logical places for what they were was a coin toss. However, the apparent materials of the appliances were all wrong. An oven, for example, was not supposed to be made of wood. Nor were refrigerators traditionally made of grass. "Everything here is up to code. We make good pizza. The best pizza. Nothing compares. Two." And then, at the back, was what looked like it was supposed to maybe be the door to the freezer. Doors were generally not made of what looked like a sort of orange, rubbery skin. A texture that Íroas, as a monster hunter, would be able to recognize. That was flesh of a mimic. "Ah, I'm sorry, friend." Íroas stated as he rolled his shoulder. "You seemed to have made one huge mistake, one major health code violation. The book says the floor should be made of floor!" After uttering that horribly cheesy one liner, Íroas winded up before launching his right fist at the floor. His torso and hips twisted, adding even more power to the straight. His fist was like a train speeding ahead at full force as it smashed into the floor at full power.

This was it. He was back home. It was a strange feeling, walking off the train to the familiar station. Usually, when people leave home and do something like save the president of another country, they feel changed, or fulfilled. Íroas wasn't sure what he felt, but he was pretty sure it was neither of those. "You can gawk at it later. We have a job to do first. John, you take Íroas and the new members and make your way to the Triumvirate, the girls and I will see about finding a hotel to stay in while we're in town." "Alright. So. Boss says we gotta meet up with the Triumvirate, and he's not wrong, buuuuuuuuuuuuuut... we're in Rome! The chance to essentially get an all-expenses-paid trip to this city doesn't come along every day. If we happened to get a little distracted along the way, I'm sure he'd understand, as long as we got to that meeting today. There's a lot to see, after all, and I've been studying the layout of the city for the entire week it took to get here." Oh yeah, they were tourists, weren't they? American ones too. Oh man, it was gonna get really loud over the next few days. At least they weren't British. That meant they could actually eat the food here. "I have always wanted to see some of the sights here up close," Sita mused. "But the Triumvirate doesn't feel like a group we should keep on hold..." With a defeated, prolonged groan, Sita finally said "It's gonna bug me if I don't get to it. I'll go find my way to their headquarters and meet any sightseers in the team there." Good, a responsible person. Perhaps they could just get this meeting over with. Íroas could feel a pit in his stomach forming just thinking about the meeting. No matter how many times he met with the Triumvirate, he could never get over his nerves. "Relax, Sita. Live a little!" Neal waved Sita's concerns off for a bit. "The old saying is, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do', it'd be a crime to just rush into the Triumvirate's presence without enjoying the view." "As a Roman, I like to point out that Romans try to be punctual to their meetings with world leaders." Íroas commented. "Yeah, I know," Sita sighed. "It just feels weird being here for some kind of official business." The girl took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and shook it off. "Right, that's not me at all! There's sights to see, and not only have I been here a couple times, but we've also got a local hero in our midst!" Sita enthusiastically gestured toward Íroas. Íroas noticed that the people around them was beginning to notice the group more. Or, more accurately, they were beginning to notice he was there. It was only a matter of time honestly, but Íroas was hoping for at least ten minutes before it happened. "Well, whatever you all decide to do, we should probably do it before---" Íroas never got to even finish his sentence before people began to swarm the group. It was like a ocean wave of people crashing into them. Their voices filled Mercurius Grand Station, turning the place into nothing but a cacophony of noise. Íroas listen closely, trying to make out what everyone said to him. He couldn't make everything out, but among the voices he could make out cries of thanks, pleads for help, and most clearly of all, a cry for him to visit Pepe's Pizza. "Ayyyyy, it's-a my favorite customah!" Called out a man whose accent was as thick as it was impossible to place. His physique was incredibly round, and the apron he was wearing had a logo embroidered on it that, if one were to further inspect their surroundings, there was a tent in the corner near the front door, with the same logo, with a slapped-together sign in front of it that read "Pepe's Pizza (Temporary Location)". A tent at which the line of customers seemed mildly disgruntled by the man suddenly abandoning his station to meet up with Íroas. "Íroas, my boyyy, we've got a disasta on our hands, an emergency!" The crowd grew quiet as the round man approached. Everyone knew the legendary pizza man Pepe. It was said he made the best pizza in Novaroma, which made him the best pizza chief in the world by default. Íroas watched as the sea of people parted to let Pepe get closer to him. "What's going on, Pepe sir?" Íroas questioned. "There's a second Pepe's Pizza location--" "Congratulations on the business expansion!" an eager nobody from the crowd called out. "I'm not done! This-a second location, I did not open it. Nobody knows who did, but everyone eating there, they're not coming back! The police say I'll be responsible if it keeps up, even though I'm not-a connected to the place! I think-a we got some kinda monstah on our hands! You gotta do somethin', my business is on da line!" "NOT HIS BUSINESS!" A different eager nobody cried out. The crowd's noises changed from a cacophony of noise to a symphony. At the moment, the whole station single-mindedly wished for one thing and one thing alone. They all wished for Íroas to save Pepe's Pizza. The local hero held up his hands to calm the group down. It took a bit, but they soon calmed down enough for Íroas to be heard without shouting. "I have an important meeting with the Triumvirate I have to go to. But I promise, after it, I will look into this... Pepe's Pizza 2." He gave his word. The crowd cheered, all excited to see the day saved. Íroas turned to the rest of anti-MIRROR, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "... Sorry about that." He said apologetically.

Íroas sighed to himself as the debriefing came to an end. It seemed all was well with this new group. He wouldn't have to worry about one of them suddenly going "Ha ha! I was with MIRROR all along! Now you all die!". Or at least, not for now. They could be trying to infiltrate the ranks. Not that he could help with that. He was pretty sure he'd have to go back to the Nova Roma after all was said and done. So as it turned out, the United States was making an anti-MIRROR team. They didn't have a name, which Íroas thought was a shame. Granted, that sentiment probably just came from the fact the Romans being very dramatic across the board. Still, he would definitely suggest the name SHATTER to the Triumvirate when he got home. No doubt they would make their own anti-MIRROR team after all. They met all the old members of the team. One guy, and four women. With the new aboard that would be about nine members strong. That was actually a pretty good taskforce, all considered. "And that's our team. You've joined just in time to get to see the world, in fact. Now that our job at the centennial is wrapped up, we're being deployed to Novaroma. The Triumvirate's also in on our little operation - they were even kind enough to send the twins our way, in fact - and a few days ago, a letter arrived saying they have some intel we'd be interested in. Hope none of you are prone to seasickness." Oh, there were two fellow Romans here. He figured he should say hi to them, but he had a feeling that he might get caught up in extended conversation. That was not something he wanted to do now. Or ever. Looking around, he tried to locate some food, or something to drink, but in the end, he couldn't anything obvious signs. With a sigh, he called out in a polite and level tone. "Is there anywhere I could get food?" "Yeah, we've got a big pantry that's kept well-stocked here on the airship," John nodded, already getting up out of his seat. "In case of long flights, y'know? Want me to show you the way?" "Please, that would be most helpful." Íroas said, thankful for the help. "Sure thing." Gesturing for the giant of a man to follow him, John left the meeting room as well, wordlessly leading the way through the halls and corridors of Air Force Zero. The most socializing that happened along the way was the occasional airship guard or other employee passing by, who received a gesture of acknowledgement from John, but that was about it, until the pair reached a room with a sign over the door that clearly read "Kitchen." The inside of the kitchen was about what one would expect of a place meant to cook for large numbers of people. Not terribly spacious, but laid out efficiently, but with only one or two copies of each cooking appliance. And, perhaps most notably, a staircase leading up to the second story of the airship. "Sorry if it's a bit small for you in here," John shrugged. "We can't exactly refurbish the place, and going all the way up to the White House's kitchen just seems needlessly excessive. But hey, we've got the bigger fridge down here." Around counters, ovens, and mini freezers, John navigated the kitchen into a large walk-in refrigerator. Inside was all manner of meats, vegetables, beverages, and other perishables, meticulously sorted and quite well stocked. "Well, I'm used to that. The world isn't built for people like me." Íroas commented as he looked around the kitchen. "Is there anything I need to keep my hands off of? You know, some food they wouldn't want me to eat?" He didn't want to cause some sort of international incident because he ate some important dinner after all. "Nah, just don't eat anything that's got someone's name on it, same as any other workplace kitchen. All the important stuff for important people is stored up in the White House. Usually eaten there, too." "Gotcha." Íroas nodded as he looked around the kitchen. He managed to find a whole platter of burgers sitting on the table. It looked like a feast for everyone. However, all those burgers would probably be just enough to fill him up. Besides, he heard the legendary American meal known as the burger, and he wished to try it himself. Now he just needed something to drink. Opening the fridge, he carefully scooted his way in, making sure he didn't knock anything over. He could see a jug of some sort of brown liquid. The label identified it as sweet tea. However, a certain claim of this jug baffled the man. "Hey, did this really come from a cow?" Íroas asked as he lifted up the jug and presented it to John. "...yeah?" With a confused tilt of his head, John asked in return, "What else would come out of cows?" "Well, back home, cows produce beer. Or wine, if they eat nothing but grapes." Íroas explained. What a strange fact he learned today. "Huh. Weird." With nothing else to say, Íroas picked up the jug and the tray of food. He carefully walked back to the meeting room. He placed his food and jug on the table. He didn't really pay attention to anyone else as he picked up a burger with a single hand, opening his mouth and eating it whole. He wasn't ready for blast of flavor that assaulted his tongue. While he wouldn't call it the greatest thing he ever consumed, it was very good. He could see why Americans love this stuff. He threw another burger into his mouth before realized someone was talking. "And just like that, we're friends! Officially, I mean. Actually... does anyone here know their way around a fight?" "Kinda," "Hm. What about you three?" "Depends." Íroas answered after chewing. There was a pause, like people waited for him to continue. He did not continue.

“Hm…” Sai glanced over, seeing the pink-haired bounty hunter already taking pursuit, “it appears that that one is already managed. In that case…” And with that, the strange man vanished. Before Íroas could question anything about that interaction, the sound of screeching metal caught his attention. His eyes darted over to the new haphazard supports that Sai created. The spectral hands were pulling harder. "Everyone! Get closer to me!" Íroas bellowed as he motioned to the people on the stage. The people looked at him, scared and confused, but began to gather behind him. His eyes drifted over to the strange man who controlled the hands. That strange terrorist must be stopped. Íroas reached out, his massive hand wrapping around the mic stand that the president neglected during his speech. The foreign bodyguard raised it up like a spear, holding it back as he stared at his target. All he had to do was throw it. Yet he froze. Not because he was nervous, not because he thought he might miss. No. He was afraid. Afraid of killing the man. Killing a monster, that was easy. He could do that without flinching. But a person? Even one attacking others, Íroas found the thought of killing them horrifying. But something had to be done. Space itself felt like it contorted. Íroas arched his back as if he was drawing a bow. Narrowing his eyes, Íroas aimed, straight and true. With his target in sight... he fired. The mic stand took off. Not like a spear, nor like an arrow. No, the speed and force behind the throw could only be described like a single instrument. It took off like a bullet. With such power behind it, it could not be blocked, nor could it be evaded. And a blow that could not be blocked or evaded could be only one thing. Fatal. The awful sound of metal penetrating flesh. The target fell to his knees. Everyone on stage released a breath that they didn't realize they were holding. The fatal weapon didn't skewer the man through his chest nor his head. It went right through his leg, leaving him alive. To his credit, the man held himself up with the good leg he still had and a hand. He didn't let out a cry of pain, nor did he complain. His face shot up, glaring in Íroas's direction, but it was a glare that was clearly not directed at the man himself, but rather, the obstacle he represented. "Pain of the flesh is less than nothing," he seethed between clenched teeth, raising his free hand up as his arm in its entirety emitted a glow similar to the spectral arms that continued to pull on the supports of the stage. "This stage will be torn down, and your President with it!" With a command issued not by words, but by the gesture of his glowing arm ripping through the air as if he himself were pulling the supports out from the stage, the giant spectral arms did the same. The metal - reinforced though it was - bent, creaked... and then snapped in two. The roof of the stage broke apart, and came down upon Íroas and those around him. The people screamed as the man watched the roof fall. An understandable reaction. However, something nagged at him. Looking over to the president with precious few seconds left, the man saw he was unafraid. Not because the president didn't fear death. It was because he didn't even consider it a possibility in this moment. Íroas raised his hands over his head, adjusting his stance as he spread out his legs. The full weight of the roof crashed into those massive hands. The roof then covered everyone, blocking them from sight. It was done. The roof was taken down. Yet to the man's disbelief, that wasn't the end. The edges of the roof cracked and fell as it was slowly lifted into the air. Underneath all the rubble was Íroas, holding the entire weight of the roof on his shoulders, like the mythological Atlas come to life. No one was hurt, not even a scratch. Íroas soon completely raised the roof over his head, like it weighed nothing. With no effort at all, Íroas then threw the roof. It landed behind the hooded man and his thorny accomplice, away from anyone who could be hurt and cutting off the villains' escape. Before the hooded man could react, he felt his feet leaving the ground. He had all but a few seconds to realize that Íroas grabbed the mic cord and swung, using the hooded man as a weapon. Searing pain shot through his leg as the mic tried to unsuccessfully dislodge itself from his leg. Instead, it dragged him along through the air, and smashed him into the thorny lady. The wind was knocked out of both of them as they crashed into the ground. Íroas didn't move from his spot, he instead turned to look at the President and the innocents caught up in this. He would make sure to protect them, no matter what it took.

Local Ballin' Legend

Fuck it, we ball.

Joanna slowly crossed the street, making sure to look both ways first like a responsible adult. Unknown to her, that didn't really matter. Drivers in this dimension were very respectful of pedestrians. After all, you never knew who could break your car with their bare hands. It didn't take long for her to reach the restaurant, which looked like a classic Japanese hall. Its traditional Japanese architecture stuck out like a sore thumb against the rest of Metro City's modern skyline. At the top of the large door was a sign written in Japanese. Joanna couldn't read it, but she could easily assume it was the name of the restaurant. Stepping inside on the hardwood floor, she could easily pick out some details. In the very center of the building was a giant ring, elevated off the floor. Two large men with builds that reminded her of the Kingpin slammed against each other. Each one did their best to push the other out of the ring. Surrounding the ring were a bunch of low tables, with cushions beneath them. Customers sat on the cushions, enjoying food from giant bubbling pots at the center of their tables. Their loud cheers showed that they were enjoying the match in front of them. As Joanna was taking in the sights, a large man approached her. He was bigger than others, his face was fiercer, covered in red kabuki paint. He wore than the others, having a black yukata on, although he only put the left shoulder on, exposing his massive chest. He looked over Joanna, cupping his chin as he did. He let out a hum as he nodded. "Well, well, lost your first fight around these parts, have you?" The man asked. "That's always a shock for newcomers here at Metro City. Well, there's only one solution for that!" He let out a hearty laugh as he clapped his hands together. "A nice serving of Chanko stew!" With the most powerful gentle push she ever felt, the mysterious sumo wrestler herded Joanna to a table. "Go on, eat up! Enjoy the show!" In front of her seat was an empty bowl and a spoon, and a full pot of this "chanko stew". The man folded his arms and laughed, obviously pleased with how everything was going. What a strange little restaurant. Rhino Ruler let out a groan as he picked himself out of the rubble. Looking around, he noticed he was in a junkyard. Not only that, his massive heft had crushed some of the cars in the lot. "Ugh... what did that Spider-Rider do to me...?" He muttered as he stood up. He rubbed his head, looking around. The junk yard reminded him of his home. But it couldn't be his home. There was no giant Rhino spray painted on the side of building. He walked forward, crushing cars under his massive weight. He didn't notice the punk looking people hanging around the junkyard, and they didn't want to provoke him, so they kept their distance. Rhino Ruler looked around, sighing to himself. Now, where was that Spider-Rider? Looking to the sky, he saw something in the far distance that pissed him off. There was someone swinging on a web towards a man on a glider. There was only one person that could be. "GOBLIN FLYER!!!!" Rhino Ruler roared at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout the entire city. "TODAY WAS MY DAY! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO FINISH HIM INSTEAD OF LETTING ME?!" A member of the Evil Eight trying to kill steal Spider-Rider? That was beyond rude. Rhino Ruler didn't have the words to express how angry he was. He looked around, seeing the trashed cars and getting a wonderfully horrible idea. He picked up one of the cars, and with all his might, hurled it at the two figures in the sky. His aim was a little off, but that was okay. "I'll get the thing on the thing..." He muttered as he picked up another car and chucked it at the two. With every car he threw, the closer he got to hitting the two... Spider-Rider kept his eyes on the road as he navigated the roads. It wasn't easy though. There was several police blockades he had to go around, and several roads were just littered with wrecked cars. What was with this dimension? Everyone just seemed to treat this as normal. His body stiffened as he heard the Rhino Ruler's voice bellow. No, did Goblin Flyer follow them there? Or was it just this dimension's Goblin? Either way, it wasn't good. Suddenly, he noticed the sun was being blocked by something. Looking up, he saw, perhaps too late, a car hurtling down from the sky towards him. He didn't have time to swerve out of the way, or to web it up. Even if he sped up, the only thing that would accomplish was crashing his head right into the metal. A horrifying end to be sure, and almost anything else could just get him horribly injured. There was only one way he was going to be able to get out of harm's way. He spun his motorcycle to the side, forcing himself to wipe out. He winced as he heard his motorcycle make a loud, horrible scrapping sound as it slid across the pavement. Thankfully, his suit protected himself from road rash, and staying low to the ground let him barely slip under the car before it hurtled into the road like a meteor. Quickly, he spun around, firing out his webs. The second the car hit the ground, he webbed it up, making sure it didn't bounce into the distance and hurt more people. He came to a stop, sighing in relief as he laid on the ground to catch his breath. That was too close for comfort. However, he couldn't rest long. More cars began to rain from the sky, threatening the people below. Gritting his teeth, Spider-Rider got up, running up the walls and firing webs, trying to make nets to catch the cars. However, more and more cars were coming, and one singular spider wouldn't be able to catch them all.

OP- 「REALiZE」- LiSA Okay, let's do once more, eh? My name is David Driver, and I am this world's first and original Spider-Rider. Yeah, you heard right, first. My world's different from those other Spider-Man worlds. Probably why that Miguel O'Hara refused to let me in his little gang. Anyways, over 30 years ago, the Evil Eight managed to take over the US Government from behind the scenes. Now we live in a world without choices. Sure, people think they're going to steer right or steer left, but they didn't make the roads. The big choices already got made for them a long time ago. Everything in the end was falling under the Evil Eight's plans. That's where I came in. Thanks to a suit created by two geniuses working with alien technology, I became the Spider-Rider, a fighter for peace and justice! A lot has happened in the twenty years that I have been Spider-Rider. I fought against evil, defeated the Octopus Corps, and I saved the city. Then I saved the city again. And again. And again. I fought so long I became a symbol of peace. And then, after many years, my successor came. The Scarlet-Rider. Finally, I could retire in peace. But life wasn't that simple. The Scarlet-Rider had his adventures, and yet I got called back into action. We saved the city again. And again. Then his successors came. The Ghost-Rider (Not to be confused with Ghost Rider, the hyphen is important) and the Stinger-Rider. Yet still, my battle seems endless. No matter how much I fight, no matter how hard I hit, evil keeps coming back. It keeps getting back up. Nobody said fighting for peace would be easy though. With all the strength I have, I will keep on fighting. Until the day that I am gone. The roar of an engine. The heavy footsteps of a mighty warrior. The streets of Neo York for once was not covered in traffic. Everyone knew not to do such a foolish thing. One of the heads of the Evil Eight, Aleksei Sytsevich the Rhino Ruler, challenged the symbol of peace, Spider-Rider, to a duel. Now the two were racing down a speedway, a high speed race with the highest stakes. The Rhino Ruler's footsteps pounded into the pavement, leaving potholes and cracks in the concrete. "I've been waiting for this for a long time!" The Rhino Ruler snarled as he charged ahead. His massive form blocked out the sun, casting the motorcycle he was chasing into a dark shadow. "Your constant meddling, your constant ruining of my plans!" Spider-Rider turned his head to look back at the mountain of a man. "You make plans?" He asked sincerely, despite the sarcasm laced in his voice. "AND YOUR CRAPPY INSULTS!" Rhino Ruler roared as he pushed himself to move faster, slowly catching up with the motorcycle. "This ends tonight, Spider-Rider!" "You're right, Rhino Ruler. At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall!" Spider-Rider replied with passion. Without warning, the Spider-Rider swerved to the left and shot a webline out at a lamppost to his right nearby. He then slammed on his brakes, creating a line for Rhino Ruler to trip over. A simple trick, but one that worked in the past. With a roar, the Rhino Ruler took a leap into the sky, avoiding the trap entirely. "I ain't going to fall for that a second---" "Fifth!" "---Fifth time!" Rhino Ruler landed on the ground, the earth shaking and the concrete shattering from the impact. He then charged after the Spider-Cycle once more. "Hey, it was worth a shot!" Spider-Rider commented as he leaned down. Quickly and carefully, he fired another web, catching some traffic cones just like bugs. He yanked them up into his hand, inspecting them carefully. He had five shots... he could do this. With that in mind, he turned around and threw one at the Rhino Ruler's face. It slapped the Rhino Ruler right across the face, causing him to cry out in surprise. He wiped it away, only to receive another cone in his face for his worries. "Cut that out!" He roared as he wiped away the second cone. With a quick backhand, he swatted a third cone out of the air. Spider-Rider threw his fourth one, this one completely missing his opponent. Undeterred, he threw his final one. This final cone, this last beacon of hope, found its mark. The cone landed directly on Rhino Ruler's massive horn, covering up the tip of it. "Oh, I got the thing on the thing!" Spider-Rider cheered. "What do I win?!" Spider-Rider could see actual steam blowing out of Rhino Ruler's head as the evil leader's face turned a dark red. "YOU!!!" The villain roared with the anger of a storm. "I win me? ... That's a horrible prize. Can I trade it in for gas money?" Spider-Rider taunted. Turning around, Spider-Rider began to formulate his plan. Now that he got Rhino Ruler angry and tunnel visioned, all he needed to do was make it to the construction site. Then he could lure Rhino into a pit of cement, yadda yadda, same old same old. When was this going to end? When would he actually get that peace he was fighting for? Would it ever come? Spider-Rider was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice what was on the road ahead of him. A strange purple glow drew his mind back to reality. What could possibly be making that glow? Oh no. That was a portal. "No, no, no!" Spider-Rider went to hit his brakes, but realized if he stopped, he would just have Rhino Ruler ram his rear end. With no time to think, the Spider-Rider came to one conclusion. He put the pedal to the metal. With a shout of determination, the bike drove straight into the portal. The world around him changed from the city he was familiar with to a great void. It was almost like he was in space, but he knew for a fact space didn't have giant strains of webs connecting together entire dimensions. He held on tightly to his bike, not wanting to get separated from it. If the Spider-Cycle fell into a different dimension, he might actually go crazy trying to get it back. He looked behind him, seeing the Rhino Ruler flailing helplessly in the void. He was sure that the giant rhino man was shouting something, but the Spider-Rider couldn't hear him at all. That in and of itself was a miracle. A bright light suddenly shone, catching Spider-Rider's attention. Looking forward once again, he saw that they were about to collided with one of the many webs that made up the Spider-Verse. Gritting his teeth, Spider-Rider positioned himself for a landing. The two travelers exploded out of a portal in the sky. Below them laid what looked like a very modern city. It wasn't futuristic, it wasn't downtrodden... it was just a city one could find in any average, boring dimension. Looking over his shoulder again, Spider-Rider saw the Rhino Ruler drop like a stone, crashing into what looked like a junk yard of some sort. Meanwhile, the Spider-Cycle was smoothly gliding through the air. However, could see he was about to land on a rooftop. With little choice, Spider-Rider let his wheels spin, his engine roaring with power. The moment he landed on the roof, he fought to stabilize himself, making sure the Spider-Cycle didn't tip over from the impact of the landing. The Spider-Cycle stayed standing and drove off the edge of building. With a quick flick of his wrists, Spider-Rider shot out a webline, the web attaching to the building. With the grace of an acrobat, Spider-Rider managed to land the Spider-Cycle into the road. People all around him turned to look, seeing his amazing feat of strength and dexterity... Only to go back to their own business. It was like that wasn't even impressive to these people! To be fair, it was hardly impressive to him any more. He remembered the first time he pulled that off... now it was just routine to him. Shaking his head, Spider-Rider looked around to get his bearings. He seemed to be in something sort of Times Square equivalent. There were stands lined up offering all kinds of foods, several kinds of shops, and a bunch of civilians walking around without a care in the world. Of course, it obviously wasn't completely peacefully, as he could see people loitering around dark alleyways, looking for all sorts of trouble. The strange thing was, all these loiters were wearing what looked like a CRT TVs on their heads. That had to be some sort of gang thing. The Broadcasters, maybe? He definitely needed to think up of some TV based quips now. As his mind raced, he finally found a sign, one that proudly displayed the name of the city he landed in. Metro City. That was a weird name for Neo York, but he supposed it wasn't his place to judge. More importantly, he knew the Rhino Ruler came along with him. And now he had to find him in this unfamiliar city. "Well, hope you pick me up soon, Miguel." He muttered with a tired sigh as he revved his engine, driving his way deeper into the city. OP's notes